As preparations continue for this week's Egg Bowl, Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom is fully aware at what's at stake. At 6-5 overall, 3-4 in SEC play, a win over their arch-rivals would all but guarantee the Bulldogs a spot in one of the conference's post season bowls. But for Croom, the important thing is ending the year with a win over the Rebels, bowl or no bowl.

"We have to get ready for the biggest game of the year," said Croom. "It's a tremendous game because it's our rivalry game it's for bragging rights for the next 365 days and that's more important than anything else.

"Of course, getting to seven wins and assuring ourselves a bowl bid is also a factor in it, but really it's Ole Miss and nothing else matters beyond that."

Mississippi State began Egg Bowl practices on Sunday and will continue later today in a session that will more closely resemble a typical Tuesday practice. With both teams coming off conference losses, Croom said talk of 'throwing out the records' is always applicable in such rivalry games.

"The intensity level and the emotions are so high, what happened before now, who's having what kind of season, I've been around a lot of them, it really don't make any difference," said Croom. "There's a reason for coaching clichés, it's because they usually have some validity."